IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhzstBlMWD
Yukari croaked, “It’s okay.” She felt as if her skin was on fire. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her tears away.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq11fwKSvHt
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XlCsTqeob
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlZmynKOx1
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonKj17FucM
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNPFj18WEj
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAGo9xC8Si
IA started the car and continued driving as if nothing had happened. Yukari had gotten used to the speed at which she drove by now, but she remained on the lookout for speed limit signs and reminded IA of them whenever they passed one. IA slowed down a bit.
"Please don’t be upset when I ask this, but why do you drive so quickly?” Yukari asked.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxdNvNqaeO
IA chuckled. “I don’t know. I’m just always so excited to get to a different place that it kind of takes over me. If you weren’t here to bring me back to my senses, I don’t know what I’d do.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFOvfJ3tKC
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKFPn3lPOj
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKNUx6vg2F
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVRra0zZPi
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxQHgu1sb8
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJI6VuxgXz
Yukari gulped. It was a pulp novel that appeared to be translated into Japanese. The cover had two women in lingerie, one brunette lying on a bed and the other, blonde, sitting behind her with a mischievous expression. In the corner of the room they were in was a table with a coat and a magnifying glass on it.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSNRuwTfUx
IA’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s more than just love scenes. I wouldn’t show it to you if it was just that since, you know, that would be kind of weird. It’s a really intriguing mystery and has an interesting romance between the detective…” She pointed to the brunette. “... and the femme fatale she suspects is the murderer.” She moved her finger to the blonde. “It’s surprisingly good for a pulp novel, but the cover makes it a bit of a guilty pleasure. It has some more mature scenes but they’re not that often.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfH7wyev6i
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntWSHpzEQx
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ixhU9k2VO
“Good.” IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as if she felt guilty about something. “If you feel uncomfortable reading it, you’re not obligated to read the rest. You can just return it to me and we can forget I ever lent it to you.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ly3Zr2HHm
“I said it’s fine.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWMZvptoZi
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DI0kdYfyu
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalTsoNBFoN
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypZe4NkeLE
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafDbwBVaD6
When she finally made it home, she had dinner with her family. After that, she put her pyjamas on, lied down in bed and stared at her ceiling. One question tugged at her mind.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6bJ9G9hsR
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8KirrzyIW
There was no age issue, at least in terms of the law, as IA was twenty-two and she was eighteen, but Yukari was still a student at the school IA worked at. Then again, it wasn’t like IA was her teacher or anything like that. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY23bGMtL7L
She remembered what IA said.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbzi34ewQF
"That was inappropriate of me.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpq6QYnsLI
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1zqojyykS
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvaDopZDjY
She opened the book and began reading it. Some parts of the novel were awkwardly worded, possibly as a result of a bad translation, but the mystery was as engaging as IA said it would be. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarFNDEhpb5
When Yukari made it to the first love scene, her entire body went hot. Clunky wording aside, the scene was undeniably attractive to her, and she pictured IA as the blonde girl on the cover as she read the scene. Eventually, she dropped the book and fantasised on her own, the scenario in her mind getting more and more explicit.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8zh0xATxw
When she was done fantasising, she continued reading until Roro’s frightened face entered her mind, convincing her to do homework. After that, she read a bit more until she went to sleep, which was around 11 or 12. It took around half an hour for her to fully fall asleep as the mystery of the novel consumed her mind.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAIM3yDMkh
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVZAPHsIWV
She shoved the book in her school bag and did as her mother said. During class she kept getting distracted, trying to piece together the clues presented in the novel. She stared at Roro in the seat next to her. He looked back at her and frowned before turning his head and murmuring something she couldn’t hear. She felt her heart sink. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfFG3ltozq
When lunch started, she took her food with her to the library, saw the ‘no food’ sign and ran outside. She sat under a bridge from the classrooms to the club rooms and opened the book. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGIMtXgFVF
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULF3YSEzaw
And then a teacher walked up to her. He was tall and had eyebrows so thick it felt as if he could crush someone with them. She hid the book behind her back and the teacher scowled at her.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EHiSzyZdT
“Show me what you’ve got.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKgt2S99tc
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79uwJOdJsr
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4RXTQsCSl
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZEdko1mwb
“Nice try.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVKuVNhXkz
Yukari stood up, trying her best not to cry. She followed him to the Principal’s office, which was inhabited by a short man with a toupee. The teacher handed him the book and the Principal’s eyebrows jumped through the roof. Yukari lowered her head and bit her lip.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJctdIaDAL
“This is… I’ve never seen a girl bring this sort of material to school before. I’m going to have to call your parents.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9uYWAE1UB
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QUcDCyUsP
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuuAh45OYG
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JjGv9HloO
“And you brought this book here because…”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMkUCbGlDX
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvJjJnbQkI
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEESjE4b4o
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecjGNlD7uq
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGMSznzkLj
“For how long?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORJcnqHUIF
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRK7jSQpkA
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2j5BrXp40
“Well, since this is your first offence, I guess I can give it back at the end of the week.” He ran his thumb against the cover. “Yes, a week should do. You’ll have learnt your lesson by then. I’m still going to have to call your parents. Come here after school for a meeting. And if you try to leave school before then, I think this book will look nice on my shelf.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuV2paw6cw
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2780ObgJm
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkRZmqlk4J
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiOaA1GCO0
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qfLCSNiZv
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5V5edYILV
“I… I see. The one who should really be sorry is me. Giving you that book… how inappropriate of me. Should I… stop giving you these books? I went too far. I knew this was a bad idea.” Yukari noticed that there were bags under IA’s eyes. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JCnVTGDtO
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrLwhrYiyY
“It’s okay. I… I don’t want to end the time we’ve spent together. I do hav something to tell you, though. Hopefully it won’t end… whatever it is we have.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1seEsT736
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPopyWnpeK
“I know what you’re going to say.” She and Yukari spoke at the same time. “You’re straight and feel weirded out by me giving you these books.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpIe82Rjgg
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQd4dYrCtR
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtt2lrxk43X
“Could you… repeat that?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8t6hzAHJx
Yukari’s cheeks went pink. “Well, I like you. You know that breakup with Roro? It was because I liked you more. You kind of made realise that I’m bisexual. I was thinking… maybe we could go out somewhere. I get it if you don’t want to! You probably want to keep your job. But we could keep it a secret if you want. But, you know, if you don’t want to… that’s cool… I’ll act cool as a cucumber. Cool as ice. Cool as… What am I saying?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9v8ShkThS
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KvBbDJIBJ
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGHsXaecyd
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiuoW1V8uN
“I-Is that a yes?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRG8UHEzMwi
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdkQEbdmWG
Yukari chuckled. “So long as I don’t do anything as stupid as bringing a dirty book to school, I’ll be fine. By the way, please don’t spoil the ending. I didn’t get to finish it.” She released a short gasp. “Wait, can I tell Roro if he starts talking to me again? He already knows I like you and I know he won’t tell anyone.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz6F6ghoct
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbteFEh3fP
Yukari eyes widened. “Oh god, my parents. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow since my parents are probably going to drag me home after this meeting. Thanks for reminding me.” Both her body and her voice shuddered as she shook her head like a dog trying to rid its fur of water after a bath.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqpT7qBMmw
IA took several books off the shelf and made a pile of them, giving them to Yukari, who stared at her with one eyebrow higher than the other.928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTDpNHFxxF
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”928Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXnF7f5Zjs
Yukari nodded with a smile. She turned towards the door and breathed slowly. She took a few moments to appreciate the moment she shared with IA before having to deal with her parents. For a few more seconds it was just her and the ghostlike librarian who became her girlfriend.
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